How Can I Reach You?

I’ve been having some interesting conversations about reaching individuals and groups of people lately. It seems as though psychographics and timing has more of an impact these days as there are so many ways to communicate. With the holidays fast approaching, and the flurry of activity that will likely take place in January, I thought it would be good to start a discussion on the best ways to reach people. Here are some communication tips based on our experiences.

Reaching Individuals. We’ve likely all gotten anecdotal advice from people on reaching a person they know well: “Try emailing him, he’s always online and rarely checks his voicemail.” Of course, if you don’t know the person or anyone who knows them, you might want to try a few different forms of communication and try to make a judgment on how persistent you should be. You can always ask a person shortly after you connect what they prefer, and don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone and embrace other ways to connect.

Communicating to Groups. In some ways this is more difficult than before, in some ways it’s easier. Before, if you could get an article published in a major newspaper or magazine, you were good as gold. Today, however, with so many choices, this is still a coup but not necessarily the way to reach your target audience. Today, a more integrated campaign encompassing several different types of media will likely be needed. Also, as we’ve discussed, the best way to reach the thought leaders in your industry is to create a community for them. Once you have this group created, communicating is a breeze, but getting to that point takes time and lots of cultivation, and I suggest you get started soon!

Choosing the Right Timing. This is important to consider for anyone you’re trying to reach. Rebecca, our Business Development Manager, has mentioned that Friday afternoon is a great time to call someone you don’t know as people seem to be more open to talking. For ‘mass’ electronic communication, the rule of thumb is to schedule emails to arrive Tuesday or Wednesday morning, as people have sorted through weekend messages and have time to read new ones. Conversely, media and bloggers are very busy during the early parts of the week, so to reach them you should avoid these times as evidenced by this post describing how to reach Mashable, one of the hottest blogs for social media.

You should also realize that in this ‘brave new world’ of communicating, you need to choose your methods and messages carefully to ensure your communications stand out from the rest. What are the best ways you’ve found to reach people? Please leave a comment below!